Kadin at Photography by Ben and Kadin sent us this spectacular elopement styled shoot set on the colorful, vibrant cliffs of Big Sur, California. The shoot was inspired by the photography duo’s love of the stunning Big Sur – a perfect setting for a romantic elopement. The duo did a marvelous job capturing this dazzling destination wedding wonderland!

Here is what Kadin had to say about this dreamy shoot!

Our colorful elopement was inspired by our love for Big Sur, California and the beauty of the love shared between a husband and wife. Since the first time we visited Big Sur, we dreamed of how stunning an elopement would be here, so we decided to make it happen. We knew choosing Big Sur as a location would provide the perfect scenery. With the lush greens and vibrant views of this destination wonderland it naturally inspired the colorful arrangements and whimsical feel of this shoot. The ceremony would be simple, to resemble the intimacy of the elopement, and for the reception we would surround them with brightly colored flowers to resemble joy and happiness.  All that was left was a happy couple, and that’s where Sarah and Jorge came in. The newly weds were more then happy to put on their wedding clothes once again and explore the coast with us. Sarah and Jorge filled our day with laughter, smiles, and adventure, and we had the pleasure of capturing it all.

Vendors:

Florist: Rachel Costa

Dress: Free People

Ring: Alyssa & Anna Fine Jewelry

Photography: Photography by Ben & Kadin

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Imagine you are deep inside the cool embrace of a lush forest. The breeze carries the musky scent of trees and moss as you make your way to a small clearing in the trees. As you stand there in the dappled sunlight, you know that this is the place that you and your partner will make a lifelong promise to each other; a promise to be faithful and true. The spontaneity of finding this special spot makes it seem magical. Like a grand design that has unfolded rather perfectly right before your eyes.

Sound romantic? When it comes to weddings, it doesn’t get any more romantic than a forest elopement. Unless of course it’s a spontaneous forest elopement. And that’s exactly the inspiration for today’s styled shoot by Photographer Galaxie Andrews at Arizona’s Gilbert Riparian Preserve. Here’s what she had to say about the shoot:

“This story is about a bride and groom eloping in nature, without guests, without a timeline, without even an altar. Letting their instinct take stage, and walking hand in hand with anticipation in their hearts, guided solely by their inner compass and creativity, not knowing where they would be married. Maybe just around the corner? Maybe behind overgrown branches and sunny leaves? They would know once they’ve found it, and exclaim “this is it! …With this editorial story, I want to inspire and encourage couples to take the unplanned part of their elopement even deeper and make it an experience of discovery, adventure and excitement. To engage their senses, and together, to uncover that special place and designate it as a protective emblem and shelter for the moment they would become husband and wife.”

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Vendors:

Photographer:  Galaxie Andrews

Event Venue: Gilbert Riparian Preserve

Floral Designer: Hoot and Holler

Makeup Artist: Mariana Marie

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In the months leading up to your wedding, there’s a good chance that your bridesmaids will be helping you prep for your big day. They’ll dig in and help you check things off the’ to do’ list that never seems to end. They’ll listen to your concerns when you hit bumps in the road. They will offer a shoulder to cry on when wedding stress gets the better of you. To thank them for being the worlds best bridesmaids, we’ve created a list of gifts from Etsy that they are sure to love.

This beautiful secret message locket by paperfacestudio is a great way to leave your best friends a heartwarming thank you that they can keep forever.

These mini stone necklaces by LayeredAndLong are perfect bridesmaid gifts!

These sweet fashionable hair bands by LoveMiaCo have been trending for quite some time, and we can see why!

Who wouldn’t love these “I couldn’t say I do without you” bangles by RedFernStudio?

Celebrate your beautifully hand-picked bride tribe with the help of this cute t-shirt by GNARLYGRAIL

Personalized hangers like the ones by DeighanDesign are not only thoughtful, but they make for great pictures too.

If you truly want to blow your sisterhood away, these earrings by TheMagnoliaJewelry are without a doubt the way to go.

Let’s end this fabulous list with this beautiful, personalized gold bar necklace by BlushesAndGold. Simple and sweet!

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

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When you’re on a tight wedding budget, a buffet dinner makes a lot of sense. Despite its wonderful cost-saving qualities, however, the buffet gets a bad rap, and often for good reason. Wedding buffets are known to be boring at best, and inedible at worst, but they certainly don’t have to be! So, if the thought of dry chicken and soggy vegetables is leaving you feeling less than inspired, have no fear because we’re here to help with 10 tips on how to make your buffet the best it can be.

1. Think Outside the Chafing Dish

When we think of buffets, we often picture a row of chafing dishes full of dry meat and wilting vegetables. Just because that’s how it’s often done, however, doesn’t mean it’s the way it always has to be done. Consider foods that don’t require sitting in a chafing dish for hours like a cold seafood bar, or our personal favorite, a pizza buffet!

2. Consider Dietary Restrictions

Today’s wedding guests come with a myriad of dietary restrictions, and while it’s not necessary to accommodate every known diet out there, it’s always a good idea to provide a variety of dishes that can accommodate the most common of these restrictions. Offering a vegetarian or vegan alternative entree, as well as a gluten-free option, will go a long way to making many of your guests very happy.

3. If you Let Them Build it, They Will Come

Whether it’s a build your own taco and burrito bar, a panini station or a pasta bar, having guests build and customize their own meal is a great way to make your buffet more interactive while allowing everyone to get creative and get the meal they really want.

4. Soups, Stews, and Braises are your Friends

While we encourage you to think outside the chafing dish, sometimes you simply can’t get away from using them. The key to a successful chafing dish buffet is to choose the right types of foods. Many dishes will dry out or turn to mush sitting in a hot chafing dish, but soups, stews, and braised dishes not only stand up to the heat, but often benefit from it.

5. Go International

If you’re stumped as to what dishes would work best for your buffet, start thinking internationally. Indian, Iranian, even Italian, cuisine all involve a great number of stewed and sauce based dishes that work perfectly for chafing dishes.

6. BBQ is Best

If you’re having an outdoor summer wedding, you really can’t beat a BBQ buffet. Whether you go with the classic backyard burger and hot dog option or go all out with a southern style pit barbecue, a BBQ buffet is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

7. Condiments, Condiments, Condiments

The easiest (not to mention, inexpensive) way to jazz up a boring buffet is to provide lots of fun condiments. If you’re having an outdoor BBQ for example, why not provide a variety of interesting ketchups, flavoured mustards, and relishes? Pickles, compound butters, dips, chutneys, and sauces can go a long way to make your buffet a lot more interesting for your guests.

8. Give them Options, but not Too Many

Nothing is worse than not having any choice when it comes to a buffet meal, but having too many choices can overwhelm your guests, lower the overall quality of the dishes, and make your food costs skyrocket. Aim to have 2 to 3 entree options and a few side dishes in order to keep everyone happy and your costs in check.

9. Make it Grab and Go

Buffet lines can be slow, leading guests to become hungry and irritable. To speed up the process, putting together a grab and go picnic buffet will allow your friends and family to quickly grab their entire meal and get back to their seats before they ever have a chance to get hangry.

10. When in Doubt, Breakfast for Dinner is Always a Winner

If you’re still uninspired, we don’t think you can ever go wrong with breakfast for dinner! After all, who doesn’t love the idea of a waffle bar?

Photo one: stylemepretty.com; Photo two: thesweetestoccasion.com; Photo three:rebeccareadphotography.com; Photo four: andersruff.com; Photo five: floridiansocial.com;  Photo six: joshsnyderphotography.com via IntimateWeddings.com; Photo seven: magnetstreet.com; Photo eight: studiodiy.com; Photo nine: aestheticnest.com; Photo ten: weddingpartyapp.com

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With the support of their family and friends, Alison and Brett jetted off to Hawaii for a romantic elopement ceremony at the stunning Haiku Mill in Maui. While some brides dread the idea of rain on their wedding day, a little precipitation during their nuptials didn’t dampen the spirits of these two lovebirds; in fact, we think it just made their day extra dreamy!

Special thanks to Anna Kim for sharing all the beautiful photos of Alison and Brett’s intimate wedding day with us!

Alison, 34 & Brett, 33

Location: Maui, HI

Wedding Date: October 6, 2015

Number of Guests: 0

Wedding Cost: $6,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Haiku Mill, Maui Hawaii

Wedding Reception Location: At my parents’ house a month after our wedding to celebrate with our close friends and family.

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We wanted a wedding that was classy and simple, yet romantic. We both love Hawaii and found the perfect venue in Maui. I mean for me, the bride, what a dream it was to get married in Maui. We knew that everyone we wanted to have join us wouldn’t be able to so it made sense to have it just the two of us.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

Everything went so smoothly. The only challenge was as the date came closer family members were wanting us to get married here in our hometown so everyone could attend.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Not at all once we decided to have an intimate wedding.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We had no issues at all.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The highlight of the ceremony was that is was just the two of us in an absolutely gorgeous venue in Maui.

What were the highlights of the reception?

Being able to celebrate with our close friends and family. It meant the world to us to see all of those who love us send us their wishes.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

It allowed us to focus more on each other and the setting of the venue.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

If you are considering having an intimate wedding with just you and your significant other, then go through with it. When we told people that we chose this route, everyone said they wished they could do that, but felt it would hurt too many people. Some people have weddings to please family and friends or to do what society tells us we should do instead of doing what we really want. We had the support from our family and friends and that made things so much easier.

Vendors:

Ceremony Venue: Haiku Mill, Maui

Photography: Anna Kim Photography

Florist: Teresa Sena Designs